Interim Budget 2019: Here's what the common man wants

Interim Budget 2019: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present his sixth budget on February 1. LocalCircle conducted a survey asking citizens what they expect from the budget. Here's what the results reveal.

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New Delhi: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the Interim Budget 2019 on behalf of the NDA government on February 1. This will be Arun Jaitley's sixth budget and the last budget for this government before the Lok Sabha election in March this year. The government is expected to woo the middle class with this budget as ET Now learned that Income tax benefits and home loan interest discounts may be on the cards.

People follow budget carefully since their earnings and expenditures might directly or indirectly be affected by what the Government announces. LocalCircles recently conducted a survey and compiled a detailed ‘Citizens Budget 2019’. More than 100,000 votes came in on the survey which covers areas like allocation priority, healthcare and expenditure, including priorities for Railways, startups etc.

The LocalCircles Citizens' Budget 2019 revealed:

1. 66 per cent of citizens want the government to present a comprehensive full budget instead of an interim budget on account.

2. If the government presents an interim budget, 64 per cent citizens want it to include tax measures.

3. On sector-wise allocation front, 43 per cent of the citizens want agriculture to be the top priority followed by 23 per cent who want infrastructure, 18 per cent skilling for employment and 16 per cent environment. Citizens also feel that agriculture being the largest employer in the country needs more help and efforts from the Government.

4. When it came to railways, 32 per cent people want the focus area in 2019 to be improvement in safety, while 38 per cent want it to be on services and amenities.

5. Citizens were asked which new areas should be allocated funds in Budget 2019. 49 per cent said the area should be agriculture related innovation, 29 per cent said environment improvement innovation, 13 per cent said women and child safety, while 9 per cent said disaster preparedness.

6. To drive faster growth, 35 per cent participants want the government to increase public investment, 30 per cent want incentives to be given for digital transactions while 26 per cent want SMEs to be given a priority sector status for lending.

7. 73 per cent startups and SMEs want angel tax must be abolished for the ones which are recognised by the government.

8. Around 43 per cent of citizens want the government to invest in better monitoring, accountability of government & private hospitals in 2018.

9. 31 per cent citizens want the government to give interest rate subvention to first time home buyers.

10. 71 per cent citizens do not want the government to announce agricultural loan waivers in the upcoming budget.

11. 64 per cent citizens said that the government should consider announcing a Universal Basic Income Scheme in Budget 2019 to counter unemployment in the country. Only 27 per cent voted against such a scheme.

Worth mentioning here is that ET Now recently learned that the government may look to dole out income tax benefits in the interim budget. Savings limit hike, tax benefits for pensioners and more concessions on housing loan interest are also among the options being considered by the finance ministry.

Interim Budget 2019: Here's what the common man wantsDescription:Interim Budget 2019: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present his sixth budget on February 1. LocalCircle conducted a survey asking citizens what they expect from the budget. Here's what the results reveal.Times Now